formate

American  

[fawr-meyt] / ˈfɔr meɪt /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a salt or ester of formic acid.

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formate British  

/ ˈfɔːmeɪt /

noun

1. any salt or ester of formic acid containing the ion HCOO ^– or the group HCOO–

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formate Scientific  

/ fôr′māt′ /

1. A salt or ester of formic acid, containing the group HCOO.

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Etymology

Origin of formate

First recorded in 1800–10; form(ic) + -ate ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

formate

Transforming carbon dioxide into formate requires a catalyst, and that has been a major obstacle.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 3, 2026

Today, most industrial formate production relies on fossil fuels, which limits its long-term environmental benefits.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 3, 2026

This metabolism creates toxic by-products called formaldehyde, formate and formic acid.

From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2024

The formate fuel can potentially be adapted for anything from home-sized units to large scale industrial uses or grid-scale storage systems, the researchers say.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2023

Subcultivate suspicious colonies on the various media, incubate anaerobically, making control cultivations on glucose formate agar, stab and streak, to incubate aerobically and carry out further inoculation experiments with the resulting growths.

From The Elements of Bacteriological Technique A Laboratory Guide for Medical, Dental, and Technical Students. Second Edition Rewritten and Enlarged. by J. W. H. (John William Henry) Eyre